Black Lives Matter in Science Engineering and Medicine : Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.: Winner of the 2020 Herbert W. Nickens Award of the Association of American Medical Colleges, Acceptance Remarks

Adopt-A-Classroom Program: A Potential Platform to Address the Root of Health Disparities in the US

The underrepresentation of Black doctors is a significant issue in the US that led to the perpetuation of health disparities in the African American community. Racial and ethnic minorities in the US have been shown to have higher rates of chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, as well as higher rates of obesity and premature death compared to White people. While Blacks make up more than 13% of the US population, they comprise only 4% of US doctors and less than 7% of medical students. It is believed that this problem requires more deliberate efforts by policymakers and the educational establishment, not only at the undergraduate and medical school level, but earlier in the educational "pipeline"-the K-12 school system. While the medical field is rooted in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), we have launched a new initiative that will provide year-round STEM development activities for K-12 education in Connecticut in Hartford and Waterbury districts, especially among populations with health disparities.

Beyond tokenism and objectivity: theoretical reflections on a transformative equity, diversity, and inclusion agenda for higher education in Canada

Universities, the sites for objective knowledge, apolitical and legitimized to contribute to human and intellectual capacity, find themselves in a tenuous position on issues of merit, equality, and fairness. On one hand, social forces have demonstrated how universities have been institutions for the production and reproduction of systemic inequality. On the other hand, universities maintain that they are well positioned, as part of their institutional renewal practices, to address contemporary calls for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Since universities are now eager to embrace EDI principles, it is appropriate to demonstrate their historical failures and provide some recommendations towards institutional renewal. Drawing on critical pedagogy, the paper examines selected academic contributions and knowledge claims that have reproduced systemic inequality, specifically on the discourse on human classification. The broader question is whether universities are simply going through the motions and hope EDI is a fad or are serious about institutional renewal and transformative changes. The study offers some ideas on how universities can pursue transformative changes grounded on EDI principles.